Metal wheel



J. LEDWINKA.

METAL WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1919.

1,427,747, I Patented Aug. 29, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR. Jase ah LedW/I'MW A TTORNEY .I.' LEDWINKA. METAL WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1919.

427 747 v Patented Augr 29, 1922.

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lNVElyTOR. g Jase oh L edW/n/?a ATTORNEY rosnrn LEDWINKA, or rnrnannnrnm, rnnnsrnvenre, assienon, an BEESNE assrcmrnnrs, 'ro Bonn wnnnn GOIVIPANY, or rnrnannnrnrn, renaissavnrtra, a coarone'rion' or rnnnsrnvanra METAL WHEEL.

Application filed may 17,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Josnrn LEDWINKA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal Wheels, of which I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in wheels, and particularly to wheels of the disc type especially adapted for use in connection with trucks, tractors and the like.

Une object of the invention is to provide a wheel of this character which is of simple construction and efiicient in operation.

- A further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of disc wheel, which is provided with a filler portion adapted to give strength and rigidity to the wheel and to increase the weight thereof.

A further object of the invention'is to provide a wheel of this character having certain novel features of construction, which will be more fully described hereinafter.

Further objects of this invention relate to economics of manufacture and details of construction as will appear from the detailed description to follow.

' The objects of the invention are accomplished in one instance by the devices and means described in the following specification, but it is evident that the same may be varied Widely without departing from the scope of the invention as pointed out in the till ' ap ended claim structure constituting one embodiment of the inventidn, which may be the preferred, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which:

Figure l is a vertical, sectional view taken along the line 1-1 of Figure H, and illustrating the relative position of the various parts of. the wheel structure with respect to each-other, 1

Figure H is a vertical, sectional View, taken along the line Til-11 of Figure I, and illustrating the relative position of the elements of the wheel structure.

Figure HT is a detail-sectional view, taken along the line TEL-HT of Figure IT, and illustrating the construction of the spacingcollar and the cover member.

eferring to the drawings, similar reference characters designate corresponding Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ange 29, teen, 1919. Serial No. 297,842.

parts throughout the several views, and the sect onal views are taken looking in the direction of the small arrows at the ends of the section lines.

In the embodiment of the invention. illustratedherewith, the wheel comprises a tubular hub member provided with a plurality of pairs of radially extending oppositely positioned cars 11 and 12 located at opposite ends of the hub member and extending radlally therefrom for a purpose which will be hereinafter described. A pair of wheel discs 13 and 14 of similar construction are each provided with a central opening within which is positioned the hub 10, and the discs extend radially therefrom to the inner surface ofthe wheel rim 15 to which they are firmly secured.

The wheel disc 13 is provided with. an annular flange 16 surrounding the central opening formed therein, said flange being formed in such a manner as to bear against and be supported by the outer circumferential face of the hub 10.' Positioned upon the outer peripheral edge portion of the disc 13 is an annular outwardly turned flange 17 which bears against the inner circumferential surface of the rim l5 and is secured thereto by means of a plurality of rivets or suitable fastening means 18. The wheel disc 14 is provided with an annular flange 19 surrounding the central opening therein, which is similar in all respects to the flange 16 formed upon the wheel disc 13, and is adapted to bear in a similar manner-against the outer circumferential face of the wheel hub. An outwardly extending annular flange '20 is formed upon the outer peripheral edge of the wheel disc 14;, and is adapted to bear against the inner circumferential surface of the rim 15 and be secured thereto by a plurality of rivets or suitable fastening means 21.

The wheel discs are formed in such a manner as to converge from their point of attachment to the hub throughout a portion of their radial extent to a point indicated by 22 from which point they extend substantially parallel with each other in a radialdirection to a oint indicated by 23, from which point they diverge from each other towards the wheel rim. By means of this construction an enlarged portion or space is provided between the wheel discs adjacent of the discs is provided with a plurality of openings positioned adjacent their points of bearings upon the hub, and a plurality of bolts 25 are passed through the registering openings and between the oppositely positioned pairs of ears 11 and 12 formed upon the hub and secured in lace therein by nuts 26 threaded thereon hese bolts 25 serve to retain the wheel discs registering in proper position relative to each other and to the hub member.

A ring 27 provided with an internal gear 28 is firmly secured to the wheel discs in such a manner as to be substantially concentric with the axis of the wheel by means of a plurality of bolts or suitable fastening means 29, which are passed through registering openings formed in the discs 13 and 14 and through the ring 27, the several parts being held in proper position relative to' each other by means of nuts 30 threaded upon the ends of the bolts 29. A plurality of spacing sleeves 32 are positioned between the wheel discs in such a manner as to register with the various registering openings provided for the reception of the bolts 29. Positioned within each of the sleeves 32 in such a'manner as to extend outwardly beyond the wheel discs 13 and 14 are bushings 33, each of which is provided at opposite ends there-' of with outwardly turned flanged portions 34 and 35, formed in such a manner as to overlie the outer surfaces of the wheel discs 13 and 14 adjacent the registering openings formed therein for the reception of the bolts 29. The wheel discs are preferably arranged in such a manner that the corres ndlng openings for the reception of the h lts 29 register with each other, then the sleeves 32 are properly arranged in position in such a manner as to register with the corresponding openings formed in the wheel discs and the bushing members 33 are inserted within the openings and through the corresponding sleeves 32, whereupon the outer end portions of the bushings are bent over in such a. manner as to form the overlying flanges 34 and 35. The various sleevesand bushings thus being arran ed in proper position with respect to the w eel discs, the bolts 29 are inserted within the bushings and passed. through the registering openings in the gear ring 27, and the nuts 30 are applied thereto in such a manner as to hold 'these several parts firmly secured in position relative to each other.

A pair of registering openings 37 are formed in the wheel discs 13 and 14 positioned in such a manner as to register W1theach other when the discs are in assembled position, and located at a point adjacent the inner circumference of the gear 28. A spacing sleeve 38 is positioned between the wheel discs in such a manner as tohave the interior portion thereof coincide with the openings formed in the wheel discs, whereupon the edge portions of the wheel discs adjoining the openings 37 formed therein are bent inwardly to form flanges 39 extending inwardly towards the center of the wheel and bearing against the inner edge portions of the sleeve 38. A cover 40 is provided for attachment to the outer wheel disc 14 in such a manner as to extend over the opening 37 formed in the wheel discs, and screws 41 are provided for detachably securing the cover plate 40 to the wheel disc 14. The cover is capable of being readily and easily removed from the wheel disc upon detachment of the screws 41, thus exposing the opening 37 formed in the wheel discs and permitting the removal there-through of the pinion 42 together with the driving shaft (not shown) by which the same is carried. The pinion 42 is adapted to drive the wheel through engagement with the internal gear 28, and the opening 37 formed in the wheel disc provides a ready means for easily removing the driving pinion and the shaft by which the same is carried whenever it is deemed desirable to remove the same for the purpose of replacement or repair without the necessity of previously removing the wheel from the axle- A dust cap 43 is secured to the outer end portion of the hub 10 by means of a plurality of attaching screws 44, and serves to inclose the axle bearing and prevent the access of foreign matter thereto.

The interior space between the wheel discs and adjacent the hub may be filled with concrete or other suitable material, which in its original state is plastic so as to enable the same to be readily inserted within the space. The concrete or othersuitable material is adapted to be inserted into the inner circular space formed between the wheel discs by being passed through an opening wheels used upon a tractor a greater weight, and consequently enable the same to exert a greater tractive force than the wheel positioned upon the opposite side of the trator. In the form of tractors wherein this type of wheel is particularly adapted for use to obtain the results mentioned above, one of the wheels is oflfset transversely from the central longitudinal line of the tractor farther than the other, thus rendering it desirable to give the wheel located farthest from the center line of the vehicle a greater weight than the wheel located nearest thereto in order to prevent side draft and cause the two wheels to act more uniformly in exerting tractive force. When the type of wheel illustrated herewith is employed in connection with a tractor of the character described, it is desirable to lace concrete or other suitable plastic material of like character within the central portion of the wheel which is positioned farthest from the center line of the vehicle, so as to give that wheel greater weight than the oppositely positioned wheel and thus increase its traction, since from this fact that the wheel is located farther from the center line of the vehicle than the other it normally carries less of the weight of the vehicle than the opposite wheel,

While the type of wheel illustrated herewith is particularly adapted for use in this connection, since from its construction ready-means is provided for increasing the weight of one of the wheels over that of the othef, it. is to be understood that this type of w eel may be used with equal readiness for all of the various purposes to which disc wheels of this general type are ordinarily emplo ed.

While I have shown and described in considerable detail a specific embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this showing and description is illustrative only, and for the purpose of rendering my invention more clear, and that I do not regard the invention as limited to the details of construction illustrated or described, nor any of them, except in so far as I have included such limitations within the terms of the following claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in my invention broadly as well as specifically.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a. wheel structure, a hub, a rim, a pair of wheel discs connecting said hub and rim, a driving gear concentric with the axis of the wheel and carried by said wheel, said wheel discs being providedwith registering openings positioned adjacent the toothed surface of the driving gear.

2. In a wheel structure, a hub, a rim, a pair of discs disposed between said hub and rim, a driving gear concentric with the axis of the wheel and secured against the face of one of said discs, said discs being provided with a pair of registering openings disposed adjacent the toothed surface of said gear, and a cover for said openings removably secured 'to the disc opposite said gear.

3. In a wheel structure, the combination of a hub, a rim, a pair of discs between said hub and rim, a spacing ring interposed between said discs intermediate said hub and rim and forming a chamber around said hub, and a filling of relatively heavy material disposed in said chamber.

4. In a wheel structure, the combination of a hub, a rim a pair of discs between said hub and rim, a spacing ring interposed between said discs intermediate said hub and rim and forming a chamber around said hub.and a filling of concrete disposed in said chamber around said hub.

5. In a wheel structure, the combination of a hub, a rim, and a pair of discs between said hub and rim each of said discs having inner converging portions, intermediate substantially parallel portions spaced from each other and outer diverging portions connected to the rim.

6. In a wheel structure, the combination of a hub, a rim, a pair of disks between said hub and rim, said disks comprising inner converging portions, intermediate substantially parallel portions and outer diverging portions, and a gear secured against one of said disks with its outer periphery substantially in line with the outer edge of the intermediate portion of said disk.

7. In a wheel structure, the combination of a hub, a rim, a pair of disks between said hub and rim, said disks having a plurality of registering openings, sleeves interposed between said disks in line with said openings, bushings within said sleeves and rovided with end flanges enga ing saiddisks, a gear and a plurality of fiolts extending through said gear and bushings and connecting said gear to said wheel.

8. In a wheel structure, a hub, a rim, a pair of wheel discs between said hub and rim, a spacing ring interposed between said hub and rim. and forming a chamberaround said hub, said rin havin a filling opening therein, and a filing oi relatively heavy material introduced into said opening.

9. In a wheel structure, a hub, a rim, a pair of wheel discs between said hub and rim, one of said discs having an opening formed therein, a spacing ring interposed between said discs intermediate said hub and rim and forming a chamber around said hub, and having a filling opening therein adjacent the opening in said disc, and a filling of relatively heavy material introduced into said chamber through said opening.

10. In a wheel structure, a hub, a rim, a

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pair of wheel discs between said hub and a-chamber around the hub, said ring having rim, a gear secured against one of said discs a filling opening adjacent the openings in concentric with the axis of the wheel, said the discs, and filling material introduced 10 discs having alined openings positioned adinto said chamber through said filling openjacent the toothed surface of said gear, a ing. spacing ring interposed between said discs 11 testimony whereof I aflix m signature.

intermediate said hub and rim and forming J OSEl H LED INK A. 

